Mara bar Serapion Letter Manuscript
Context
Mara bar Serapion was the author of a letter to his son, as preserved in this manuscript. He is known for writing about historical events in the letter.
What Was Discovered
The Mara bar Serapion Letter is a manuscript from the 6th or 7th century that contains a letter written by Mara bar Serapion, a writer from that era, to his son. In the letter, he references the execution of the wise king of the Jews. This manuscript was obtained from the monastery of St. Mary Deipara in the Nitrian Desert of Egypt and is currently held by the British Library.
The Text Itself
What else can we say, when the wise are forcibly dragged off by tyrants, their wisdom is captured by insults, and their minds are oppressed and without defense? What advantage did the Athenians gain from murdering Socrates? Famine and plague came upon them as a punishment for their crime. What advantage did the men of Samos gain from burning Pythagoras? In a moment their land was covered with sand. What advantage did the Jews gain from executing their wise king? It was just after that their kingdom was abolished. God justly avenged these three wise men: the Athenians died of hunger; the Samians were overwhelmed by the sea and the Jews, desolate and driven from their own kingdom, live in complete dispersion. But Socrates is not dead, because of Plato; neither is Pythagoras, because of the statue of Juno; nor is the wise king, because of the 'new law' he laid down.— Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mara_bar_Serapion)
Why This Matters
The manuscript provides a reference to the execution of the wise king of the Jews, which is of interest to historians studying ancient texts.
Acceptance Assessment
Debated Among Scholars
What Scholars Debate
There is debate over whether the reference to the 'wise king of the Jews' alludes to Jesus.